SALT LAKE CITY – No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer overcame two scares of limping off the ice after blocking shots to recover well enough to score the overtime winner as the Islanders improved to 4-0-0 on their seven-game road trip with a 3-2 victory over the Mammoth on Friday night at Delta Center.
The Islanders (10-6-2) have won three straight in overtime.
Schaefer connected from the right circle at 2:06 of the extra period.
Jonathan Drouin had tied it at 2-2 at 13:44 of the third period on a goal that was reviewed to see if he kicked it into the crease. A lengthy look determined the puck went in off a Utah player.
David Rittich made 27 saves and Karel Vejmelka stopped 19 shots for Utah (18-7-1).
The Islanders, just as they did in Thursday’s 4-3 overtime win in Las Vegas, started slowly, with Rittich making nine saves in the first six minutes. But just like the previous night, Emil Heineman opened the scoring, this time swiping a backhander from the slot at 7:13 of the first period. It gave Heineman, acquired from the Canadiens as part of the Noah Dobson deal, eight goals in 18 games after he notched 10 in 62 matches as a rookie last season.
Nick Schmaltz thought he tied the game at 11:41 but, upon review, it was determined his shot glanced off the crossbar rather than enter the net. But JJ Peterka redirected Lawson Crouse’s feed to the left post at 13:02 of the first period and Dylan Guenther scored a five-on-three power-play one-timer at 18:35 after penalty killer Simon Holmstrom shot the puck over the glass just seven seconds after Schaefer was whistled for interference at 17:49.
Notes & quotes: Bo Horvat’s assist on Schaefer’s winner extended his point streak to eight games (six goals, six assists)…Defenseman Scott Mayfield remained on Long Island with family and missed his second game…Roy did not alter his lineup from Thursday other than goalie David Rittch starting for the first time in four games…Defenseman Travis Mitchell and forward Kyle MacLean were the healthy scratches…Forward Max Shabanov (upper body) missed his 12th game.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.